Sleepy Kitty

Sleepy Kitty is more than a band: it's an all-in multi-media artistic collaboration. After spending the '90s drumming in Harvey Danger (London/Polygram), and the '00s in Chicago's Bound Stems(Flameshovel), Sult heard Brubeck's voice in her band, Stiletto Attack, and couldn't shake it. Strictly for fun, they started mashing weird sound experiments into their natural pop instincts, and quickly had a batch of art-cracked, catchy songs. At the same time, they were designing and printing t-shirts and rock posters together. They called it all Sleepy Kitty—and they now run both their band and their print shop out of a formerly abandoned brewery on St. Louis's Cherokee Street, which has since become the city's unofficial printers' row (you can check out their print work at sleepykittyarts.com). After two self-released EPs—Hustlin' Kets (2007) and What I Learned This Summer (2009)—and some great opening slots for the Dresden Dolls, Chuck Berry, and Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Sleepy Kitty caught the ear of Euclid Records' Joe Schwab. The band's live show is a whirlwind: Brubeck loops her vocals live, crafting walls of girl-group harmonies above the tube-driven blast of her vintage Super Reverb. Sult plays at the edge of the stage with her—when he can contain himself to his drum throne. Infinity City transmits the power of their live show but reveals their canny control of pop architecture: "Gimme a Chantz!" opens with a theatrical flourish before bounding into a crowd of surging '90s-era harmonies; garage-cranked "Speaking Politely" makes way for the delicately observed details of city-breakup ode "NYC Really Has It All," and the Velvets/Fab Four mash note "Seventeen" revels in their influences.

Young Hines

Young was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the youngest of seven children. Unnamed at birth, an unknown person wrote "Young Mr. Hines" on the patient info sheet and it stuck.

He was raised in Griffin, Georgia, a small town 37 miles south of the Atlanta airport. Young eventually moved to Chicago and while there began recording demos in a home studio and selling them at shows and online.

One day he got an email from Brendan Benson containing a cover of Young's song "Only in a dream." A mutual friend had been painting at Benson's residence and decided to listen to Young's demos on the job.

Benson took the cd. Young traveled to Nashville not long after, to meet him formally and they ended up writing a song. He left his gig in Chicago and moved to Nashville immersing himself in the city's live music scene.

Less than a year ago, Young took all of his demos to Brendan and they chose the songs for the upcoming album Give Me My Change.

Young is the first artist signed to Brendan's label Readymade Records. Give Me My Change was recorded at an all analog studio, Welcome To 1979, located in Nashville, TN.

Young opened for The Raconteurs this past fall, at The Tabernacle Atlanta. This Spring on April 10th, Give Me My Change, is released on Readymade as well as Brendan Benson's What Kind of World, April 21st.

Psalm One

Psalm One never likes to sit in one place for too long. It makes her knees hurt, and beyond the physical discomfort it stifles her. Her music mirrors these sentiments, keeping her raps as ever-changing as the scenery. A Southside Chicago native, this rookie Rhymesayer has been raising eyebrows since 2002, with her self-released debut LP Bio:Chemistry. Released while Psalm was studying Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Bio:Chemistry was well received and served as a resume of sorts after graduating and returning home to Chicago later that year. After a powerful performance on the 2003 Nacrobats release Always (Birthwrite), Psalm went back to the lab with Chicago producer Overflo.

In 2004, bridging the gap between her previous work and her forthcoming album, she released Bio:Chemistry II: Esters and Essays (Birthwrite). It was a re-release of her 2002 debut, plus 5 unreleased tracks, repackaged and remastered. While staying diligent in the studio, her tour schedule began to become equally as busy performing on Warped Tour Code of the Cutz stage, the annual Scribble Jam Festival and B-Girl Be Summit in Minneapolis, as well as, sharing the stage with: 50 Cent, Slick Rick, Atmosphere, MF Doom, De La Soul, Camp Lo, Murs, Jean Grae, Royce tha 5'9, Diverse, Blueprint, Brother Ali, Masta Ace, Prince Paul, Casual of Heiroglyphics and many more. In 2005 she was named as on of URB's Next 100 and featured "as next to blow up" in such publications as: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times and The Onion which only added fuel to her ever-glowing fire.

Glass Lux

Glass Lux formed in October 2010 when producer/DJ Alfonso Mayen met vocalist Emily Morse through a facebook message. Known as "Le Fonz" around his hometown Chicago, Alfonso started playing and writing music at a young age, going on to play in various local bands such as Perfect Kiss and Blacklight Saints. Emily, a Chicago transplant from Okemos, MI, had fronted many bands in her hometown but was looking for something more electronic to showcase her unique vocal style. She reached out to Le Fonz, and the resulting project led to a slick dance-and-synth-heavy sound showcasing Le Fonz's catchy production and Emily's hauntingly mature voice. Currently working on their first release slated for 2012, Glass Lux has already gained attention as up and comers in Chicago's exciting electronic scene.

The New Balance

The Whistle Pigs

This southern Illinois based hillbilly trio's unique sound is comprised of banjoist/vocalist Joe McCamish's old timey voice and banjo licks, upright bassist Randy Hill's rockabilly slap, and accordionist Alex Pape's 'hillbilly accordion' styles. Whistle Pigs started as a house band at PK's in Carbondale,IL, a gig that lasted for two and a half years only to end when the whistle pigs touring schedule interfered with the weekly residency. The band debuted in 2008 with their independently produced album 'Original Album' with songs written by McCamish and featuring a fiddle and washboard. Several hundred copies were sold in the first few months following it's release and it's successes afforded the group more gigs and extensive touring of their region, making them one of the area's favorite bands. Whistle Pigs shared the stage with such great and diverse acts as Split Lip Rayfield, Darrell Worrley, Mountain Sprout, Infamous String Dusters, The Dirt Dobbers, and Joe Diffey. The groups second release, 'Long Term Plan', followed a year later showing the maturing songwriting skills of McCamish and a tight sound that only comes from constant gigging. Late 2010 brought the newest release 'Bless Your Hearts and Livers' on the MudStomp label, featuring Steve Fishell on pedal steel and dobro and recorded at the Sound Kitchen in Nashville, TN. Whistle Pigs bring bluegrass to Cavern Club Written by Joel Sensenig Toledo Free Press *You wouldn't expect a band that gets its name from a woodchuck to be all that worried about getting the rock-star treatment on the road. In the case of country-meets-bluegrass-meets-rockabilly band the Whistle Pigs, this assumption would be correct. These southern Illinois boys just hope the price of gasoline stays below the $3 mark. "We've got a smaller van, so it's a little better on gas money," said Joe McCamish, lead vocalist and banjo man for the Whistle Pigs, which rolls into Ann Arbor's Cavern Club Nov. 17. Not that anyone's complaining about the modest road accommodations. "We live better on the road than we do at home," McCamish said. "We were born to travel. We've got the system down — we load in, we charm the bartender and get free drinks. We'll sleep anywhere, eat whatever. Anything to make this happen, you know?" Since forming in the college town of Carbondale, Illinois several years ago, the band featuring banjo, fiddle, upright bass, washboard and accordian has released three albums and toured extensively throughout the Midwest. Their latest offering, "Bless Your Hearts and Livers," released on the Mudstomp label, added pedal steel and dobro to the band's sound. It was recorded at the Sound Kitchen in Nashville, Tenn. The Whistle Pigs does not shy away from its rural roots, often using the term "hillbilly" whenever they can. "We just felt the terms 'country' and 'bluegrass' got too big," McCamish said. "We feel 'hillbilly' is more back to the roots of what we're trying to do." When this band of hillbillies invades Ann Arbor, McCamish said fans should expect to get their groove on. "It's a high-energy show," he said. "We love to entertain, and do a bit of banter onstage. There's always a lot of dancing at our shows. It's a good time, an old-time feel."

Sad Brad Smith

Sad Brad Smith is a singer and songwriter in Chicago, whose song "Help Yourself," won him acclaim and disdain in several small circles. In 2010 he released his first masterpiece, "Love is Not What You Need," which has yet to generate significant buzz within the public sphere, but which is actually pretty decent if you have the balls to admit it. His new album "Magic" is possibly the greatest album not yet released. It comes out April 1st, 2014. A disruptive tour is sure to follow on the heels of new success. You may or may not appreciate it, but it's worth picking a side and picking it early.

Kelsey Wild

Born: 1990 in Honolulu USA
Piano lessons: 1996-2002
Writing music since 2004
I have a cat, a dog, a goldfish named Nancy Kerrigan. I like to roller skate, I have a scar on my left index finger from a box-cutter, I love coffee, I hate licorice, and I don't like to dance except when the music's good and I'm with friends who are also bad at dancing.
I love to play and write music, but not all the time. It's a relationship with highs and lows, plagued by doubt and frustration but always good enough to keep going. I read an essay by Ray Bradbury once about how art is created because of the artist's ego, and I think that's true. I try to find other reasons so I don't feel so guilty.
I like the ocean and I like to walk places.

Honey & The 45's Video Release Party

Honey & the 45s is a Chicago based blues rock band featuring two female front-women. Known for its soulful sound and jazzy undertones, the band has been dubbed "The band of Chicago."
Honey & the 45s was formed in Chicago in October 2009 as an acoustic group by core members lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Kristina Cottone, and singer, violinist and saxophonist Kim Kozel. Since then, Honey and 45s unique sound has evolved by adding bassist Sean Tatum, lead guitarist Jon Gould, and drummer Jarad Kleinstein. Honey & the 45s draws from jazz and blues roots but delivers a new soulful rock sound with powerful vocals and musical grooves

Nathan Xander

"On The Fear, Nathan Xander takes a bold and reaching step to transform himself from a solo folk singer into a main stage commodity. The rich textures of his voice power through the chords, be it acoustic or electric, and conjure memories of smoke and sawdust. At its core, The Fear is roots rock and a big chunk of Americana. This album is honest and filled with heart, fear, and ultimately faith." - Deli Magazine